By activating two genes that promote photosynthesis researchers in the Iowa state unviversity claim that the algae biomass can be increased by 50-80%.In low carbon environments, two genes — LCIA and LCIB — are expressed to capture more CO2 resulting in increased productivity. More: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/11/genetic-tweak-brings-big-boost-in-algae-biomass/

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Investigation of abiotic stress response at a molecular level - This paper reviews the isoprenoid and carotenoid biosynthesis regulation of Dunaliella salina as well as the genetic transformation procedures developed for this alga that set the stage for its future use as a production system. - http://www.e-algae.kr/Upload/files/ALGAE/02_11-01AARamosJan8_웹.pdf

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Algae Engineering Kits for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Synechococcus elongatus - http://www.oilgae.com/blog/2011/11/algae-engineering-kits-for-chlamydomonas-reinhardtii-and-synechococcus-elongatus.html

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An excellent interactive discussion with Craig Venter, the world's leading expert in genetic engineering, and the one leading the effort in synthetic biology for algae fuels with his company Synthetic Genomics - http://www.livescience.com/17037-algae-food-biofuel-craig-venter.html

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The Algal Functional Annotation Tool is a web-based comprehensive analysis suite integrating annotation data from several pathway, ontology, and protein family databases. The current version provides annotation for the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and in the future will include additional genomes. The site allows users to interpret large gene lists by identifying associated functional terms, and their enrichment. Additionally, expression data for several experimental conditions were compiled and analyzed to provide an expression-based enrichment search. A tool to search for functionally-related genes based on gene expression across these conditions is also provided. Other features include dynamic visualization of genes on KEGG pathway maps and batch gene identifier conversion.

in Algae Fuels

“One of the problems with algae is that they tend not to stay where they are,” says Todd Kuiken, a senior research associate with the Wilson Center’s Synthetic Biology Project. “If anyone tells you that algae won’t escape, they're lying or they don't understand how algae works.”
Read more at : http://www.good.is/post/attack-of-the-killer-algae-the-risks-of-creating-biofuels/

I happened to find this article when I was trying to explore the prospects of genetically engineered algae as a feedstock for oil production.

in Algae Fuels

Groups at Washington University, Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University will first attempt a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic machinery of selected cyanobacterial strains and then implement that understanding by assembling a novel bacterium with the metabolic machinery needed to produce fuel molecules.

Source: http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/22812.aspx

in Algae Fuels

The researchers modelled the metabolic network of the algae species Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a popular species for studying molecular biology. They matched the different biochemical activities of the algae to its genetic sequence, which involves some 1,080 genes associated with 2,190 reactions and 1,068 unique metabolites "The advantage is that Chlamydomonas is a well-known species. The things we know and learned from it can be used on other algal species that can be of more value for biofuels," says Salehi-Ashtiani.
http://www.nature.com/nmiddleeast/2011/110914/full/nmiddleeast.2011.122.html?WT.mc_id=FBK_NatureMEast

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It is likely that GM algae will be restricted to closed systems such as photobioreactors only, right? Because there will fear that GM algae's presence in open systems could result in unintended consequences, were the algae to escape the habitat and invade the nearby neighbourhoods...

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San Diego Center for Algal Biotechnology - http://algae.ucsd.edu/

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